Lacrosse ball resurfacer

ABSTRACT

A lacrosse ball resurfacer is suitable for roughening a surface of a lacrosse ball. The ball resurfacer includes a surfacing element with a concave recess formed thereon. The recess is sized to receive at least a portion of the lacrosse ball and has an abrasive surface disposed thereon.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/380,491, filed Sep. 7, 2010, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Over the past few years, the price of new lacrosse balls has risen steadily. Today, the cost can be as high as nearly three dollars per individual ball. Because these polymeric (rubber) balls are a petroleum based product, the price is sure to continue its upward trend. For lacrosse programs all around the country, one of the major costs is balls. New lacrosse balls have a certain level of “grip” to them that players demand. This grip makes the ball more accurate, more predictable, and easier to use overall. However, after a short period of time this grip wears off and the balls become slippery (“greasy”), making them very frustrating and difficult to use. The amount of control a player has over a slippery ball is greatly diminished as compared to a new ball. This diminished control affects both passing and shooting, two of the most instrumental aspects of the game. For this reason, used, slippery balls are undesirable and need to be replaced often, making the sport very expensive for lacrosse programs and individual players. In short, the problem is that lacrosse balls are expensive and become nearly unusable fairly quickly, creating a need for replacement that is not only frustrating, but also very costly for many lacrosse programs around the country and throughout the world.

SUMMARY

A disclosed embodiment of a lacrosse ball resurfacer is suitable for roughening the surface of a lacrosse ball. The ball resurfacer includes a surfacing element with a concave recess formed thereon. The recess is sized to receive at least a portion of the lacrosse ball. An abrasive surface is disposed on the concave recess.

A method of resurfacing a lacrosse ball is also disclosed, wherein the method includes inserting at least of a portion of a lacrosse ball into a recess formed in a surfacing apparatus. The recess is sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of a lacrosse ball and has an abrasive surface disposed thereon. The method further includes applying a force to the ball to maintain contact between a surface of the lacrosse ball and the abrasive surface and rotating the surfacing apparatus relative to the ball to abrade the surface of the lacrosse ball.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a ball resurfacer according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows an exploded isometric view of the ball resurfacer shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a sectional side view of the ball resurfacer shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of the ball resurfacer shown in FIG. 1 in use;

FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of the ball resurfacer shown in FIG. 1, being used in conjunction with a power drill; and

FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment of the ball resurfacer shown in FIG. 1 that includes a replaceable insert.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The presently disclosed ball resurfacer 20 is suitable for applying a textured finish to polymeric athletic balls for which a smooth surface is undesirable. More specifically, the disclosed resurfacer 20 is suitable for abrading a smooth lacrosse ball surface to exposed the “grippy” material beneath the surface, thereby providing a rough surface to lacrosse balls that have become “greasy,” i.e., worn and smooth through use.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the resurfacer 20 includes a surfacing element 30. In the disclosed embodiment, the surfacing element 30 has a generally cylindrical shape. Although the surfacing element 30 is depicted as having a cylindrical shape, it should be appreciated that the surfacing element 30 need not be cylindrical, but can have any suitable shape. In this regard, the surfacing element 30 can be square, hemispherical, frustoconical, or any other suitable shape. Embodiments are also contemplated in which the surfacing element 30 is ergonomically formed to be easily gripped in the hands of a user. These and other shapes are contemplated and should be considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

The surfacing element has a hemispherical recess 32 formed in one end thereof. The recess 32 is sized and configured to receive a portion of a standard lacrosse ball. The radius of the recess is approximately equal to the radius of a lacrosse ball. In this regard, a preferred embodiment of the surfacing element will include a recess with a radius in the range of approximately equal to the radius of a lacrosse ball to ¼″ greater than the radius of a lacrosse ball. In the disclosed embodiment, the recess 32 has a depth approximately equal to ⅓ of the diameter of a standard lacrosse ball; however, it should be appreciated that the depth of the recess can vary so that more or less of the lacrosse ball surface can be received therein.

The recess 32 has an abrasive surface 34 formed thereon from a suitable material, such as industrial diamond, for example. Other embodiments are contemplated wherein the abrasive surface 34 is cast, forged, or machined to be integral with the surfacing element 30. In this regard, any abrasive material suitable for resurfacing a lacrosse ball may be used, and such materials should be considered within the scope of the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, the surfacing element 30 is detachably coupleable to one end of a fitting 40. In the disclosed embodiment, the fitting 40 includes a threaded rod 42 extending therefrom to engage a threaded hole 36 formed in the surfacing element 30. It should be appreciated that the surfacing element 30 can be coupled to the fitting by any suitable means including fasteners, adhesive, etc. In other contemplated embodiments, the surfacing element 30 is integrally formed with the fitting 40. Further, the illustrated shapes of the disclosed surfacing element 30 and fitting 40 are exemplary only and should not be considered limiting. In this regard, fittings having other suitable forms can be utilized.

The fitting 40 includes a shank 44 extending away from the surfacing element 30. The shank 44 preferably has flats formed thereon so that the shank can be secured within a standard ⅜″ or ½″ drill chuck. In one preferred embodiment, the shank 44 has a hexagonal cross section sized similar to the shank of a drill/driver bit used with a standard drill chuck. The shank 44 is positioned so that the longitudinal axis of the shank is coaxial with a central axis of the hemispherical recess 32. As a result, rotation of the fitting 40 about the axis of the shank 44 rotates the recess 32 about a central axis of the recess. The shank 44 can be releasably or permanently secured within a handle 50, such as shown in FIGS. 1-4 or the chuck of a drill 60, as shown in FIG. 5.

To resurface a lacrosse ball 100, a user grips the ball in one hand and inserts the ball into the recess 32 of the surfacing element 30 so that the ball 100 contacts the abrasive surface 34 of the recess. The user applies pressure to the ball 100 and turns the surfacing element 30, either by turning the handle 50 (FIG. 4) or operating the drill 60 (FIG. 5). Alternatively, a user can also hold the surfacing element 30 by its edges and manually rotate the surfacing disc.

As the surfacing element 30 is rotated, the abrasive surface 34 of the recess 32 abrades the ball to remove at least a portion of the slippery surface of the ball. Abrading the ball in this manner exposes the “grippy” rubber beneath, thereby effectively roughening the surface of the ball. Roughening the surface of the ball in this manner makes the handling characteristics of the ball closer to those of a new lacrosse ball. A user will preferably rotate the ball 100 to ensure that the entire surface of the ball is resurfaced.

It is contemplated that the coarseness of the abrasive surface can be varied to apply different finishes to the resurfaced balls. In this regard, the resurfacer 20 may have a plurality of interchangeable resurfacing discs 30, each resurfacing disc having a different abrasive surface 34 formed in the recess 32. Such a configuration allows a user to attach a particular surfacing element 30 to the fitting 40 in order to achieve a desired texture on the resurfaced ball 100.

Referring to FIG. 6, another contemplated embodiment of the disclosed resurfacer 20 includes an insert 70 that is removably secured to the recess 32 to provide the abrasive surface 34. The insert 70 is formed of a pliable material that can be deformed to approximate the shape of the interior recess. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the insert 70 is a sandpaper disc with radial cutouts. The disc is secured to the recess 32 using an adhesive, one or more hook and latch fasteners, or other suitable means. Thus, the insert 70 can be replaced if the abrasive surface 34 becomes worn, or if a different coarseness is desired.

The disclosed lacrosse ball resurfacer provides many advantages over the known state of the art. These advantages include the following:

-   -   useful life of balls is extended;     -   refinished balls handle/feel/play more like new balls;     -   environmentally friendly—more refinished balls means less new         balls, which means less petroleum products are used and fewer         old balls end up in landfills;     -   saves money for lacrosse programs by extending ball life; and     -   saves money for individual players purchasing personal practice         balls.

While the preferred embodiment of the disclosed subject matter has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A lacrosse ball resurfacer for roughening a surface of a lacrosse ball, the ball resurfacer comprising: (a) a surfacing element; (b) a concave recess formed in the surfacing element, the recess being sized to receive at least a portion of the lacrosse ball; and (c) an abrasive surface disposed on the concave recess.
 2. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 1, further comprising a shank extending from the surfacing element.
 3. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 2, further comprising a handle fixedly secured to the shank.
 4. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 2, wherein the shank is sized and configured to be releasably secured to a drill chuck.
 5. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 1, wherein the surfacing element is formed of a metallic substance.
 6. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 5, wherein the abrasive surface is integrally formed on the surfacing element.
 7. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 1, wherein the abrasive surface comprises an insert releasably secured to the surfacing element.
 8. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 7, wherein the insert is releasably secured to the surfacing element by one or more hook and loop fasteners.
 9. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 7, wherein the insert comprises a deformable material.
 10. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 9, wherein the insert comprises a sandpaper disc.
 11. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 10, wherein the sandpaper disc comprises a plurality of radial cutouts.
 12. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the concave recess has a constant radius.
 13. The lacrosse ball resurfacer of claim 12, wherein the constant radius is approximately equal to a radius of the lacrosse ball.
 14. A method of resurfacing a lacrosse ball, comprising: (a) inserting at least of a portion of a lacrosse ball into a recess formed in a surfacing apparatus, said recess being sized and shaped to receive the at least a portion of a lacrosse ball and having an abrasive surface disposed thereon; and (b) applying a force to the ball to maintain contact between a surface of the lacrosse ball and the abrasive surface; and (c) rotating the surfacing apparatus relative to the ball to abrade the surface of the lacrosse ball. 